Combined clamp and drill jack



March 24, 1942. L D ANDERSON 2,277,576

COMBINED CLAMP AND DRILL JACK Filed May 8, 1940 Patented Mar. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED CLAMP AND DRILL JACK Leroy D. Anderson, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application May 8, 1940, Serial No. 333,948

2 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a combined clamp and drill jack for rotary hand drills.

The device is particularly adaptable for use with manually operable ratchet drills having an automatic feed as employed by plumbers for drilling holes in the wooden structural elements of building structures to provide passageways for water pipes, vent pipes, waste pipes, heating pipes, and the like.

The practice heretofore has been to provide an improvised support for the feed end of the drill when drilling a hole in an adjacent structural element. This not only takes the time of the operator in setting up the improvised support, but necessitates looking around for the desired lumber material to make the supporting fixture.

Additionally, as frequently'happens, the make shift support is not always set within the extent of the feed of the drill with the result that added supporting material must be employed to compensate for the discrepancy.

This improvised and crude fixture usually comprises a cross-piece extending across the space between the upright studding and cleats or blocks nailed to the studs in supporting relation to the ends of the cross-piece. This xture not only takes time to put up, but when installed is not necessarily rigid and secure. Also, it may be incumbent on the operator to erect a xture for each drilling operation.

In accordance with my invention, the clamp and the jack elements are rigidly connected to provide a unitary structure for use `with all drilling operations.

It is also an object of my invention to provide the clamp element in a form or of a construction that it may be detachably applied to a support I by welding as indicated at 3.

line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the drill being omitted for the purpose `of illustration; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the combined clamp and drill jack.

The combined clamp and drill jack device of my invention is preferably made of metal of the desired strength and rigidity and comprises rigidly connected clamp and jack elements I and 2, respectively. The device may be in the form of a casting or it may be blanked from sheet steel or other plate metal stock of the requisite gauge and strength. When made of two pieces, as in the embodiment shown herein, the jack element 2 is secured at its inner end to the clamp element In all cases, it is preferable to have the clamp and the jack elevice may be handled and used as a unitary lixture.

and be adjusted along the same for the setting required for a drilling operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide the combined clamp and jack device with means for reinforcing the jack element against a drilling pressure.

A further object of my invention is to provide la combined clamp and jack device which is simple in construction and inexpensive to build, thus making it available for general use.

The invention consists further in the features hereinafter described and claimed.

Fig. 1 shows a drilling tool supported in a drilling position by the improved clamp and jack device of my invention, the figure showing parts broken away and in section and elevation, respectively;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on The clamp element I in the embodiment shown, comprises a U-shaped section having a pair of side Walls 4, 5 and a joining end wall 6. This gives the clamp I channel form making it available for litting over and embracing a support 'I when the drill 8 is set to drill into the companion member 9 for-the support 'I as shown in Fig. 1. In this showing, the members 'I and 9 are transversely arranged constituting, respectively, an upright studding and an associated horizontal header, both of wood, as in a building wall construction.

The jack 2 provides a purchase for the drill A8, the clamp I being long enough to supportl the jack on the stud 'I and distribute the drill pressure thereto. The clamp I is secured to the studding 'I by one or more set screws I0, I0 carried by the clamp and engageable with the studding within the clamp as shown in Fig. 1. The outer ends of the screws I0 may be enlarged to facilitate tightening and loosening them in the use. of the device. In the embodiment shown, the screws III are on the same side of the clamp I as the jack 2 and above and below the same, respectively.

The jack 2 comprises a substantially flat platelike member II extending outwardly from one side of the clamp I in normal relation thereto as shown. The plate II is disposed intermediate the ends of the clamp I and has a width conforming to the depth of said clamp. This gives the jack suicient width to accommodate one or more rows of centering recesses or apertures I2 as shown in Fig. 2. As illustrated, the rows extend longitudinally of the jack plate, with one row centrally disposed and the other rows on opposite sides of the central row. The aperturesv may extend through the plate so that either side of the plate may be used to center the tool 8.

The tool 8 is a conventional manually operable ratchet drill as used in the plumbing trade for boring holes in wooden structural elements to provide passage-ways for various types of pipes. 'Ihe tool 8 is provided at one end with a spring biased feed cylinder I3 having a centering projection I4 to take into any of the holes I2 in the jack plate II. The drill feed when under compression feeds the drill forwardly as well understood. The drill has a drill shank I5 equipped at its forward end with a wood boring bit I6. At this point the drill shank I5 carries an adjustable cutter I'I which determines the diameter of the hole I8 to be drilled in the member 9 as the drill handle I9 is moved back and forth. Y The cutter I'I is adjustable radially of the shank I5 as in equipment of this character. The setting in Fig. 1 is for a relatively large hole.

The jack 2 is provided with integral flanges 23, 20 along its side edges as shown in Fig. 3. These flanges abut at their inner ends against the clamp I and are welded thereto the same as the jack plate Il. The flanges 20 support the jack plate in substantially normal relation to the clamp I and reinforce the jack against a drilling pressure. The flanges 26 preferably taper outwardly to simplify the construction and avoid the use of more metal than necessary. The flanges may be made to extend above and below the jack plate if desired.

The combined clamp and drill jackis usedinthe following manner. When it is desired to drill a holein the header 9, the clamp element I is applied to one of the studs l, the left hand one being used in Fig. 1. This extends the jack plate II into the space between the studding and substantially parallel to the header 9. The clamp I is slid upwardly along the stud 1 to the setting required fcr the feed of the drill, whereupon the clamp is secured to the stud by tightening the clamp screws I0 against the same. If desired the drill 8 may be set at the center for the hole to be drilled in the header 8 and then the clamp I be moved up to the position required to compress the feed spring and hold the drill in place. Or the clamp may be set and fixed in place before the drill is set between the jack and the header 9. In this last mentioned method, the drill is set on the jack plate in the desired centering hole I2 and the drill forced downwardly towards the jack to compress the feed spring until the drill bit is free of the header for insertion thereunder. In either method of application, the jack provides a purchase for the tool and may be readily and easily adjusted if the drill feed plays out before the hole is completed. With the nib I4 seated in one of the centering holes I2, the drill is held from slipping on the jack.

On finishing a drilling operation, the clamp and jack device may be readily removed from its support to free the drill or the drill may be forced downwardly against the jack plate to compress the feed spring to free the drill. The latter method may be used if the jack device is to remain afxed to the support 1 for drilling another hole in the member 9 within the limits of the jack plate.

Should it be desired to drill a hole in a Stringer (not shown) at the bottom of the studs 1, 1, the clamp I is applied to the desired studding and the feed end of the drill is engaged with the jack plate as before, only, the drill 8 will be extended downwardly.

Should it be desired to drill a hole in a member between a pair of joists, the clamp I will be applied to one joist with the jack plate I I extending crosswise of the joists to provide a purchase for the drill as before.

In all cases, it will be noted that the clamp I is applied to one member while the drill operates on another member in transverse relation to the first member. Hence, the clamp and the jack elements I and 2 may be disposed in the normal relation shown. This locates the clamp I in par.. allel relation to its support and the jack 2 is in parallel relation to the member to be drilled. The pressure of the drill feed is sufficient to hold the drill between the jack and the member being drilled and advance the drill cutter forwardly as required.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains. It may be pointed `out that the combined clamp and drill jack of my invention has the important advantage of providing the operator with a fixture which will not only avoid the use of the crude and improvised method heretofore used in drilling, but facilitate the drilling and enable the work to be performed with greater speed, safety, and accuracy. Moreover, my improved clamp and jack device is simple in construction and sufliciently rigid and strong to adequately resist the drill pressure, yet light enough in weightI and small enough in mass or bulk to allow for convenient handling and carrying. The device is also inexpensive, thus making it available for general use.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be variously changed or modified Without departing from the spirit Vand scope of my invention except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

`I claim as my invention:

1. A combined clamp and drill jack device of the character described for supporting a manually operable ratchet hand drill of the automatic-feeding type from one of two right-angularly disposed structural members in a building construction within the angular space between said members while drilling a hole in the other thereof, said device consisting of stationarily connected clamp and jack elements in fixed right-angular relation so that the device may be handled and applied to the selected member as a single unit, said clamp element being in the form of an elongated, one-piece substantially U-shaped fixture having rigidly connected side and end walls providing therebetween a channel whereby the clamp element with the jack element fixed thereto maybe applied to the selected member by merely slipping the clamp element over said member from the outer side thereof into said channel and be adjusted along said member to locate the jack element in position to support the drill for drilling in the other member, said jack element being in the form of a plate stationarily secured to the side wall of the clamp element which lies on the inner side of the structural member to which the -clamp and jack elements are applied to provide a purchase for the drill in the angular space between the structural members and in substantially parallel relation to the member to be operated on by the drill, fastener means for detachably and adjustably securing the clamp element to the member to which the clamp element is applied, and 'means for reinforcing the plate against a drilling pressure by the drill.

2. A combined clamp and drill jack device of the character described for supporting a manually operable ratchet hand drill of the automatic-feeding type from one of two right-angularly disposed structural members in a building construction while drilling a hole in the other of said members, said device consisting of stationarily connected clamp and jack elements in fixed right-angular relation so that the device may be handled and applied to the selected member as a single compact unit, said clamp element being in the form of an elongated, one-piece substantially U-shaped fixture having connected side and end walls providing a channel therebetween whereby the clamp element with the jack element fixed thereto may be applied to the selected structural member from the outer side thereof by merely slipping the clamp element over said member into said channel and be adjusted along said member to locate the jack element in position to support the drill for drilling into the other member, said jack element being in the form of a plate stationarily secured to vthe side wall of the clamp element which lies on the inner side of the structural member to which the clamp and jack elements are applied to provide a purchase for the drill in the angular space between the structural members and in substantially parallel relation to the member to be operated on by the drill, said plate being disposed Y intermediate the ends of the clamp element and having its surface outward from the clamp element engageable by the drill, fastener means carried by the clamp element at one side wall thereof and engageable with the supporting member for the clamp member for drawing the other side wall thereof against said support to detachably and adjustably clamp the clamp element thereto, and flange formations on the plate and engaged with the side wall of the clamp member from which the plate extends for reinforcing the plate against a drilling pressure by the drill, said ange formations extending wholly below said plate an'd tapering outwardly from the clamp element to adjacent the outer end of the plate.

LEROY D. ANDERSON 

